October 26

according to our meanness and unworthiness, but "according to the riches of his glory"—When Alexander bestowed a valuable boon, the favoured partaker said, "It is too much for me to receive." But the conqueror of the world replied, "It is not too much for me to give."

The prayer we have reviewed was very great—But was it answered? Read the very next verse. "According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things." So sure is it that he is a God, hearing prayer. So often does he fulfil the promise, "While they call I will answer, and before they speak I will hear."

OCTOBER 26.—"When he had by himself purged our sins."—Hebrews 1:3.

THERE is a cleansing from sin by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost: and we read of the Saviour's cleansing his Church with the washing of water by the word. But here the purification has another import. It was well understood by the Hebrews from their own services—It is to clear from guilt by atonement, or to remove iniquity by expiation, so that it will not be imputed or punished. Without shedding of blood there is no remission; and in him we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. This is the meaning. And therefore it is spoken of as a thing done already, and accomplished when he died upon the cross. For it is said he accomplished this purging of our sins—

"By himself." This has a two-fold reference. It distinguishes him from the high priest under the law. He put away sin typically, but it was not by the sacrifice of himself, but of the victims whose blood he shed and carried into the holy place. But Christ washed us from our sins in his own blood; and through the eternal Spirit he offered himself, without spot, to God; and thus purges the conscience from dead works. It also shows us that he was alone in the work, without a partner, without a helper, without a comforter. He trod the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with him. This was even signified by his stipulation in the garden; "If ye seek me, let these go their way:" and also by the conduct of his disciples, "when all forsook him and fled."

Here we see the vastness of his love—That he would interpose on the behalf of those who were guilty and deserved to suffer. "Scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." "When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son." And he was under no constraint or mistake. He well knew what his engagement would cost him—yet he was more than willing—yet, dreadful as the scene was, when it drew near, he turned not away his back, he repented not of his undertaking—Yea, he said, I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Surely such love passeth knowledge!

But we see his greatness as well as his goodness—that he could purge our sins by himself. Think of the millions of sinners saved;

think of the myriads of sins with which each of them was charged; and the evil there was in every sin—Yet “the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all! And he taketh away the sin of the world! And his blood cleanseth from all sin!” This would seem incredible; but it is called “the blood of God,” that is, of One who was Divine as well as human. No wonder he not only finished transgression, and made an end of sin, but brought in everlasting righteousness; not only satisfied the law, but magnified it, and made it honourable.

Hence let us never think of adding any thing to the efficacy of his sacrifice by our doings or sufferings. This was the great point so urged by the Reformers. They differed in many things, but here they were perfectly agreed, and resolved rather to die than to yield—that nothing should blend with the death of Christ as the foundation of our hope, and the ground of our plea, for acceptance and justification with God. In one thing they have been mistaken. Much of what they said against good works applied only to Popish good works, that is, to abstinences and performances enjoined only by will-worship and the traditions and commandments of men. They honoured what the Scripture means by good works, works done by the grace of God, and according to the rule of his own word—Yet these, even these, much as they valued them for other necessary uses, they excluded in whole, and in part, from that work of which the Saviour said, “It is finished.”

Let us also beware of diminishing its virtue. We really take from its all-sufficiency when we feel and talk as if it was not by itself fully adequate to all the purposes of a sinner’s relief. O thou of little faith! wherefore dost thou doubt? This sacrifice has satisfied Divine justice; why should it not satisfy thy conscience? why art thou afraid to rely upon a complete, an infinite propitiation for sin? So far as the East is from the West, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Think of this, and joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. That atonement, when we trust in it and plead it, renders us dearer to God than even a state of innocency could have done—It is an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. Think of this and let it give you boldness and access with confidence in your approaches to God. Think of this and let it support you under all your trials. All may be rough under foot, but all is calm and clear over head. Men may frown, but God smiles. He may chastise, but he cannot condemn; and the correction is in love to your souls, and designed for your profit. Here is the tree for the healing of the waters of Marah.

And you, poor convinced sinner, you diminish its value unless you find in it enough to encourage even you, and even in sight of all your desert! We blame you, not for believing that sin is exceeding sinful, or feeling that the load of it is a burden too heavy for you to bear. You ought to ask, “How shall I come before the Lord, and bow before the high God?” And it is well to be convinced that you have no sacrifice of your own to offer. But there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Surely he hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrow. We are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Be not faithless, but believing.